Boomerang Festival needs your help

The Boomerang Festival is in its final weeks of a crowd-funding campaign and is hoping the northern rivers public will contribute.

Byron Shire mayor Simon Richardson has just joined with Archie Roach, Paul Kelly, and Troy Brady in doing a video of support.

The Boomerang Festival is an Indigenous arts and culture festival in Byron Shire.

The festival includes dance, weaving, carving, talks and ideas, workshops, music and authentic cultural exchanges between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people.

Originally running as a stand-alone festival, Boomerang organisers were dismayed in 2013 when the federal government made funding cuts to its arts and Indigenous programs.

The crowd-funding campaign aims to raise $100,000.

Boomerang artistic director Rhoda Roberts said without adequate funding, Boomerang must raise funds to grow into a stand alone festival, and a major contributor to the north NSW cultural landscape, tourism and economy, as well as a landmark event for Australia.

‘NSW has the largest population of Aboriginal Australians than any other state in the country, and less fiscal support than other regions in the country,’ she said. ‘Ownership and pro-activeness with art and culture is key to empowerment and inclusion in our diverse society.

In order for Boomerang to run effectively in 2016 we need $100,000.

‘Additional funds will be placed in trust to go towards the future development of Boomerang into an independent, stand-alone festival.’

For those unable to contribute financially, organisers are asking that they spread the word via social media, volunteer at the festival, or donate products and services.